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Aug. 28, 1928. W. WA mJR morumi RADIATOR Fihd Oct. 26, 1922 Patented Aug. 28, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT" OFFICE.

-WILLIAM wan, .13.; or GARDEN CITY, N'nw Yonx, AssreNon, nY'imsNn'AssIeN- mums, r oun'rrss AEROPLANE AND MOTOR COMPANY, 1No., oroAnnnN cIrY, LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK, A. CORPORATION on NEW YORK.

.A EROPLAN E RADIATOR.

Application filed October 26, 1922. Serial No. 597,073.

My invention relates to skin or surface type radiators and more particularly to aeroplane iadiators of wing or aerofoil form.

An object of the invention is to improve the construction, arrangement, and organi- S1011 and contraction due to temperature zation of radiators thus particularized with a view to reducing both cost'andlabor incident to the manufacture thereof.

A further object of theinvention is to so V relate the corrugated sheets and the water passages or cells formed thereby that expanchanges may occur without in any way disrupting or otherwise injuriously affecting the necessary multiplicity of joints.

a A still further object of the invention is the placement of thet skin or surface type radiator directly upon the outer'covering of the wingframework in such manner that the radiator per se does not under any circumstances constitute a structural part of the wing. Thus organized, exceedingly light material can be' used in the construction of the radiator since its relation to the wing is 26 such that the operating strains and stresses set up in the wing are kept" entirely apart from the radiator disposed thereover. Other objects of the invention are, to con-.

s truct the-radiator in sections, to join'the sec- '80 tions together by overlapping the edges thereof, and to provide headers common to the total number of sections, each header-constituting a substantial portion of the wing or aerofoil itself, and each, from a construction standpoint, comprising separate channeled metal strips fastened respectively to the juxtalplosed sheets defining the water passages or ce s.

J In-the drawings, wherein like reference characters denote like or corresponding parts; r

Figure 1 is a plan view of the skin or surface type radiator illustrating the manner in which it is mounted upon an aeroplane wing Figures 2 and 3 are enlarged detailsection'al views taken on the lines 2'-2"and 3.- respectively ofFigure 1 Figure 4 is an enlarged planview of one of the corrugated metal plates forming a part of one of the radiator sections;

Figure 5 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view of portions of adj acent rad1ator sections showing the manner m which the edges thereof are overlapped and ad acent sections fastenedtogether; and.

Figures 6 and 7 are detail sectional views folded upon and fastened to the other.

In the embodiment of the invention selected for illustration, the radiator, designated in its entirety as 10, is preferably built up from a plurality of radiator sections 11, each of which is of substantially a duplicate construction. The sectionsll, in the'assembly of the complete radiator, are placed edge to edge, with adjacent edges in overlapping contact as indicated in Figure 5, the overlapped portions being rigidly fastened together by eyelets or rivets 12 which penetrate all of the several thicknesses of metal provided at the various joints.

The radiator sections per se each comprise separate metal sheets 13 and 14:, 13' denoting the outer metal sheet, and 14 the inner. The inner metal sheet 14 is preferably wider than the outer metal sheet 14 to the end that a water-tight seal alon the edges of the several sections may be obtained by folding the ex tended portlon, designated as 15, over and 7 upon the top face of the outershe'et or plate 13 as indicatedin Figure 7. Thus folded, the contacting portions of the folded parts are soldered together.

The metal sheets or plates 13 andM are the plate 14 are designated as 17. The two.

plates, in the construction of the radiator sections, are laid one upon the other, and in the finished product, -may be described as juxtaposed. Preferably the corrugations 16 and 17 both extend outwardly or away from the face of the wing or aerofoil over which i the radiator is laid, the relative arrangement of the corrugations being such that the shallow corrugations 17 enter the deeper corrugations 16 to thereby define the necessary number of water passages or cells. When thus positioned, the juxtaposed sheets orplates are fastened together by efiecting a solder-joint along the several parallel points of contact therebetweea. In this way the necessary number of water passages or cells are readily and quickly obtained.

The purpose of corrugating the inner metal plate or sheet 14 is to allow for expansion and contraction due to temperature changes, it having been found in practice that the use of a fiat plate causes the solder-joint to pull apart or break when expansion or contraction occurs.

While the inner plate of each radiator section is wider than the outer plate, the outer plate in each instance is the longer (see Figures 2 and This difference in length admits of the ready formation of-headers 18 and 19 through the use ofchanneled strips 20 and 21. The channeled strips 20 serve .to join together the inner plates at both the leading and trailing edge of the wing. whereas the channeled strips 21 serveto join the outer plates 13. The shape accorded the channeled strips is of course determined by the specific profile or contour desired in the wing. Thus organized, the headers 18 and 19 may be made to serve the total number of radiator sections and may be built up from the channeled strips 20 and 21 by solderjoints at the points Where the metal plates and channeled strips engage.

The radiator, it will be noted, instead of providing an outer covering for the wing framework, is directly mounted upon the .outer hovering of the wing. In other words,

the wing itself is made as a complete unit and the radiator mounted thereon as an outer skin or covering entirely independent of the wing covering, which is provided for strength. Thus organized, exceedingly light material may be used inrthe radiator construction, since the radiator per se does not, nor is it designed to carry even a fractional part of the stresses setup in the wing'structure in the operation of the machine. It will be further noted, that the spacing of the metallic connections between the juxtaposed plates is such that a separate connection is provided for each corrugatiorf in the outer corrugated plate, and since the connections in each instance are metallic, preferably solder-connections, a very efficient means for.

readily dissipating heat, is produced.

The means forfastening the folded edges of the radiator sections to the outer covering f of the wing, and the means for fastening the folded portions of the radiator plates together to provide the necessary "water-tight. seal preferably consists of metallic eyelets spaced along the lapped portions of the radiatorsections, separate eyelets being provided for the several radiator sections. These eyelets, designated as 12, not onl provide a metallic connection between the Juxtaposed plates, but in addition eectually seal the openings formed therein through which the fastening bolts 23, proyided for holding the radiator sections upon the wing, are adapted to ex-' where the skin or surface type radiator is placed against both the top and bottom surface of the Wing, thru-bolts 23 may be em ployed as a means for fastening the opposed sections upon the wing.

This application being the companion of an application filed concurrently herewith in myname with that of Harvey G. Mummert as joint inventors of the process or method of constructing radiators as herein set forth, such method or process will not be herein described. Suflice it to say that such radiators offer a minimum of resistance when used on an aeroplane and have proven, by actual test, to solve that problem in aeroplane design whichhas given engineers in the past the greatest of concern.

While I have described my invention in detail in its present preferred embodiment, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art'after understanding my invention, that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. I aim in the appended claims to cover all such modifications and changes.

What I claim is v 1. The combinatiomwith a structural element of an aeroplane, of a radiator fastened to said element and of a constructionisuch that an outer skin-like coverin therefor is provided, said radiator comprlsing a plu rality of separately formed radiator sections placed edge to edge and fastened one to the other whereby one or'more of said sections may be independently-removed and replaced at will; each radiator section comprising juxtaposed corrugated metal plates in direct engagement one with the other along spaced lines of contact determined by the size of the corrugations of one of said plates,- fastening means for uniting the two corrugated plates along said spaced lines of contact whereby each radiator section is sub-divided into a plurality of separated water passages orcells, and headers common to a plural numberof said radiator sections, said headers being like- 2. A radiator for aeroplanes' comprising a plurality of radiatonsections arranged respectively upon opposlte 8,065 Of an element a the radiator sections are laid,

of said aeroplaneto provide therefor an outer V covering, the radiator sections in each in* stance being placed edge to edge and substantially A, parallel, and headers substantially 4 5 wedge-shaped in cross section carried jointly by said radiator sections.

3. A radiator for aeroplanes of aerofoil section comprising a plurality of separately formed radiator sections fastened together edge to edge and providing in the aggregate an outer'skin-like covering for that part or portion of the aeroplane over and uponwhich separately formed headers, substantially Wedge-shaped in cross section, so disposed with respect to said radiator sections as to unite said sections respectively adjacent to the leading and to the trailing edge of said aerofoil, said headers and said radiator sections being separately removable-at will, and a means for subdividing the radiator sections, longitudinally of their len. h, into-a plurality of Water passages or ce ls,-through which a liquid cooling agent is adapted to pass from one to the other of said headers. 4. A surface type radiator for aeroplanes comprisin juxtaposed plates, one of which is cor'ru ate to provide a plurality of water passages or cells, saidplates being folded one upon the other along the edges thereof to provide-a water-tight seal, devices engaging the; folded portions of said plates for fastening said plates together, and m 'ans engaging in apertures formed in said astening devices for holding the radiator in place; 1 5. A surface type radiator for aeroplanes comprising tivometallicplates, oneof which is corrugated tojprovide a plurality of water passages r cells, and fastening devices for sealing the edges of the juxtaposed plates to- 40 gether, said fastening devices heing in the form of eyelets having, bolts passing through .the eyes of said eyelets.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiIix-my, signature. t

WILLIAM WAIT, JR. 

